‘Lacking essential, nourishing fats’: How this athlete’s diet could be improved

James Parr is an athlete, model and disability advocate. The 27-year-old shares his day on a plate.

James Parr’s pre-run snack is a crumpet with sugar-free maple syrup.Credit: Illustration by Eliza Iredale

7.30am After a swim, breakfast is oats with water and protein powder.

10am I’m running errands and creating content for work, so while I’m out I drink a smoothie made with spinach, peanut butter, protein, frozen berries and a banana.

12.30pm Lunch is two wraps with spinach, tomato, cucumber and poached chicken.

3pm A crumpet with sugar-free maple syrup before a 30-minute run. After a cool down, I eat a banana with light Greek yoghurt.

6pm Brown rice with poached chicken, steamed vegetables and light soy sauce.

Dr Joanna McMillan says:

Top marks for… A spot-on meal for your on-the-go morning snack. The smoothie boosts your fruit and veg intake for the day, while the peanut butter adds good fats that slow down digestion, helping you feel fuller for longer and helping prevent a sharp rise in your blood glucose.

If you keep eating like this you’ll… Find yourself lacking essential, nourishing fats as well as the vitamins and antioxidants that need fats to be absorbed and utilised by the body. These fats are key for many of our body’s systems, including brain, skin and eye health, and you have very few fat-rich foods in your day bar the peanut butter

Why don’t you try… Sprinkling your oats with seeds such as chia, hemp or sunflower. Add avocado to your wraps. Cook or drizzle your vegetables with extra virgin olive oil. Rather than having chicken at two meals, switch to trout or another oily fish for one of those meals.

James Parr is an ambassador for The Push-Up Challenge, June 5 to 28.

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